Chapter 11

EDWARD'S POV

Bella felt really bad about 'ruining' our honeymoon. What she didn't understand was one, that is wasn't her fault and two, we had forever to have many more honeymoons.

Once we reached the house, Bella got out and collected all the bags.

"Bella let me get some of those." I reached out.

"No, I can get them. I ruined our honeymoon, so I should get the bags." She trudged inside, while Alice held the door.

"We need to talk." Alice said softly to me.

I looked ahead to see Bella dragging the bags upstairs. "Alright, but can we make this quick?"

"Follow me." Alice took off.

I followed. We stopped in front of the cabin that Bella had been taken to.

"Why are we here?" I asked darkly.

"Just come with me." Alice led me inside. It looked the same.

"What are we-"

"Look. The man that you killed…he's gone. Not only that, but out back, there's disturbed soil."

"So?"

"Edward," Alice took my shoulders, "whoever buried that guy, is seeking revenge."

"But I killed him. Why isn't he taking his anger out on me?"

"Maybe he's using Bella as bait." Alice shrugged.

Edward! Edward where are you!

"Alice, its Bella!" I took off back to the house. I bolted up the stairs. She wasn't in the room.

Where are you?

I was scared when I didn't get a response.

The tub.

I rammed right through the bathroom door, and leaped into the tub. I brought Bella to the surface, holding her in my arms.

"Bella!" I shouted, shaking her a little.

She coughed up some water. "I'm alright."

I held her soaked body to me. "Bella, what happened?"

"I tried to fight him…but I looked up from the water and he was standing there. He made my body go underwater."

Alice ran through the doorway. "Edward! Bella!"

"Alice, I'm going to go put Bella in my room – watch her. I have to fix the door."

"I can walk." Bella struggled.

I carried her into the room, and dressed her in the first clothes I found.

"Stay put here."

"Edward, I'm not-"

"Bella! Just stay put."

I went out into the hallway.

"Hey, Edward, you might want to lighten up on Bella." Alice whispered.

I grabbed her shoulder. "You don't leave her alone. Stay here until I get back. I'm fixing the door, and then I'm going to look for this creep."

I stormed off to look for the tools.

BELLA'S POV

"Alice, let me go." I sat up.

"Bella, Edward told me to make you stay put. Now, ordinarily, I would let you go, but you did almost drown."

"Alice, I'm not human anymore. Why is Edward babying me?"

Alice came and sat next to me. "In Edward's eyes, you're still his little breakable Bella. You always will be like that to him, not that he doesn't respect you, because he does…he just doesn't want to lose you."

"I know."

"And on top of that," Alice leaned back, "you're his wife now."

I laid back. "But he's my husband. What if I lose him?"

"Edward has been this way for a long time. He'll be fine."

"But I won't be, unless I know for sure that he is." I bit my lip.

Edward please…let me come with you.

Bella, just stay put.

Edward, I can help.

You can help by staying put!

I folded my arms grumpily.

"Maybe we should talk about something else." Alice suggested.

"Let's talk about being held captive."

EDWARD'S POV

I first noticed that something was off when I saw tons of books on things like teleportation and weapons. There was a whole set of them, lying in different places around the cabin.

I opened up one labeled The Art of Hypnosis, and flipped through it. It explained how to hypnotize those you wanted to control. It talked about hypnotizing the body to move the way you wanted it to, and it also went on to say that only the most powerful hypnotists could control a person's mind.

I snapped the book shut, and began looking through papers on a small desk against the wall. Millions of newspaper clippings were paper clipped together. Each one was about a girl going missing in Forks. Each girl was no doubt beautiful.

Everything was starting to piece together. I was putting the clippings into my pocket when something fell on the floor. When I bent to look, I leaped back in disgust and surprise.

In the picture, the man I had killed was holding up a vampire carcass. Another man was standing next to him, pretending to stake the vampire.

I shoved the picture into my pocket, still disgusted.

Nothing else was of use to me, so I decided to go back to Bella. We needed to see Charlie.

Bella was still pouting when I entered the room.

"Alice, Bella and I are going to see Charlie." I pulled Bella to her feet.

"Oh are we?" Bella asked, still angry.

"Yes, we are." I pulled her to the door.

She broke free and bolted. I sighed and ran after her.

I caught up to her, and grabbed her arm.

"Bella! What are you doing?" I tried to hug her. She backed away.

"You aren't being fair!" She quickly snapped her hand in the hair, and I thought she was going to slap me. She rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to hit you."

"Then what-"

She pointed to her wedding band.

We promised to be together forever. We said vows Edward.

I lowered her hand. "I also said that I would protect you."

A tear escaped her eye. "Then keep me close."

"Always." I hugged her to me.

BELLA'S POV

Charlie seemed surprised to see us.

"I thought you two were on your honeymoon?" He asked, leading us inside.

"It got cut short." Edward sat down.

"So what's new?"

"Actually, we have to ask you about something." I sat down next to Edward.

"What? Is there something wrong?"

"Do you recognize these men?" Edward slid a picture across the table to Charlie.

Charlie stared. "How did you-"

"I…killed that man," Edward pointed to one of the men, "because he tried to hurt Bella. Who is that other man?"

Charlie caught his breath. "That is Duncan Richfield. He and his father, Frederick, moved to Forks about three years ago. Nobody liked them; they studied weird things like teleportation…really sci-fi stuff."

"Why did they move into the cabin?" I asked, grabbing the picture. It was disturbing.

"After a few months, girls around this area started disappearing. Now we didn't have proof, but we all suspected that the Richfields' had something to do with it. So the police department asked Frederick and Duncan to leave."

"So they moved into the cabin. Didn't you every tie them to the disappearances?" Edward took the picture from me, and shoved it deep into his pocket.

"Well not exactly. Many people say that they'd seen Frederick and Duncan carrying around weapons, sometimes they were bloody. But those people always came back and told us it was a mistake…it was odd."

Edward nodded. "This all makes sense now."

"What does?" Charlie asked, cocking his head.

"Frederick and Duncan Richfield were trists. When they realized that Bella was close with our family, they took her to lure us back to their cabin so they could kill us."

But Edward, why did Frederick try to rape me?

I don't know Bella. I haven't solved that piece of the puzzle.

"Then, when I killed Frederick, Duncan was left to take revenge. He's trying to use Bella again so that he can kill us."

Charlie covered his mouth with his hand. "I should call for help."

"No," Edward grabbed Charlie's shoulder, "just let us take care of it. No police."

Charlie nodded. "Just be careful."

Edward nodded. "I intend to keep my promise about keeping Bella safe."

EDWARD'S POV

"Bella…I need you to stay here, with the family." I stroked her cheek.

"Please, let me help."

"Emmett, Jasper, and I are going to go look for this guy. Just stay here, I need you all to be together in case Duncan comes here."

"Just," Bella kissed my forehead, "be careful."

"Of course." I touched her arm, and then turned.

"We're ready Edward." Emmett kissed Rosalie goodbye.

"Just stay here, and stay close together." Jasper hugged Alice, and then caught up with Emmett and me.

"Where are we going first?" Emmett cracked his knuckles.

"Into the woods. He's bound to be around here somewhere." I snarled.

"Alright, let's split up. I'll go north, Edward, you go east, and Emmett, you go west." Jasper took off north.

"Meet back here in a few hours."

"Alright." Emmett ran off.

The rain started then, mixing with the slush on the ground. Perfect.

I ran past trees, keeping my eyes open for anyone walking around in the woods.

All I could think about was Bella. I wondered if she was alright. I wondered if Duncan took over her body, if Alice and Rosalie could overpower her.

"You aren't being fair!" She quickly snapped her hand in the hair, and I thought she was going to slap me. She rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to hit you."

"Then what-"

She pointed to her wedding band.

We promised to be together forever. We said vows Edward.

I lowered her hand. "I also said that I would protect you."

A tear escaped her eye. "Then keep me close."

"Always." I hugged her to me.

I sighed heavily. "Oh Bella, if only you knew how much I worry about you."

Edward, you might want to come back…it's Bella.

I stopped dead in my tracks. That was Alice's voice.

I turned, and ran back.

As I made it out of the woods, I saw Bella, walking slowly towards me. Her eyes were blank, and so was her face.

Alice and Rosalie stood, horrified, by the house.

Edward, Duncan has hold of her body…and her mind this time.

No. This could not be happening.

I looked around for Duncan. He had to be around somewhere.

"Bella, stop!" I grabbed her.

"Isn't this fun Edward? You took someone from me, now I can take someone from you." Bella said, her voice dead.

"Duncan! I swear to God-"

"You creatures are godless. Don't speak of God."

"Stop it! It's me you want, not her!"

"You're wrong, I want you both."

Bella then grabbed me, and threw me backwards.

"Edward!" Alice screamed.

I got up quickly. "Duncan!"

"What's wrong, don't you want to hit me?"

"Damn you!"

Bella smiled. "I should say damn you. Vampire!" She ran at me.

I moved quickly, but she turned and dove into me.

"I won't hit her Duncan!" I yelled, lightly pushing Bella off of me.

"Ah, then my job has just become much easier."

I growled, and jumped out of the way of Bella's fist.

When she went to punch me again, I grabbed her fist. "Bella stop. Don't you recognize me?"

"There's no use, her body and mind belong to me."

"Stop, stop it!"

Bella's fist swung at my face, but she stopped, her fist shaking.

"Bella?" I asked, watching her fist shake in midair. Her face was still blank.

Edward…run.

My eyes widened. "Bella?"

Run Edward I can't fight him much longer.

"No, I won't leave you!"

"Useless. She's no good to me for now."

Suddenly, Bella blinked. She fell backwards, but I caught her, and kneeled on the ground.

"Bella, can you hear me?" I asked close to her face.

"Fainting – it's a usual side effect from being hypnotized for so long." A voice said.

I looked up to see a man, standing a few feet away. He was wearing a black overcoat, and rubber boots. He was smiling.

"You're-"

"Yes, I'm Duncan, the son of the man you killed."